In memory of John Kubala

By Ann Espinola

John Kubala ran the show. He directed the water utility in Arlington, Texas as it grew from 45,000 customers to more than 300,000, supervised a couple hundred employees and chaired one of AWWA’s biggest sections.

Kubala led on the gridiron, too, where he was a lineman in high school, earned a full-ride scholarship to Texas A&M University, and played under the legendary Bear Bryant.  

“He was larger than life," said Charlie Anderson, a former AWWA president and longtime employee and friend of Kubala’s. “Whenever he walked into a room, he lit it up. He was a very robust human being who loved life.”

Kubala died last year at the age of 74 from the complications of throat cancer. This year, he was inducted into the AWWA Hall of Fame. His widow, Carol Kubala, took the stage at an opening general session at ACE15 and accepted the award in front of nearly 3,000 people.

"I'm not a very public person," Carol Kubala said later, "but I wanted to do it for him."

Spent entire career in Arlington

Kubala was among the lucky ones who found early career satisfaction. Fresh out of A&M in 1962 with a degree in civil engineering, he landed a job at the Arlington utility where he labored for more than 33 years until his retirement. He worked his way up from water and sewer engineer to director of utilities at a time when Arlington was on the cusp of a massive growth spurt.

Kubala set the stage for his utility to become the first in Texas to implement pre and intermediate ozonation and biological filtration of its entire drinking water system. So successful was his tenure that, a year after he retired, the city renamed the Southwest Water Treatment Plant the John F. Kubala Water Treatment Plant.

Mike Howe, executive director of AWWA’s Texas section – which Kubala chaired in the mid-70s -- said Kubala used colorful language and never minced his words. “When something was on John’s mind, he said it and you knew he said it.”

Kubala was nominated for the Hall of Fame by the Texas section. In her nomination letter, former chair Kay Kutchins said Kubala’s words of advice to his managers was simple: “I selected you because you were the best candidate and I expect you to do the work to the best of your ability. I’ll do my best to provide you with the resources and support you need to meet that goal. But don’t forget, I know how to do your job as well as you do and can always do that job in case you don’t.”

Kubala followed through one February after an ice storm caused a water main break in the middle of the night in Arlington.

 “They had trouble getting the water line shut off,” Anderson recalled. “One of our valve operators, Stanley, told John he could get the valve off, but John didn’t think that was the way to go. Stanley was sure he was right. They made a bet and John said if he lost the bet, he would do Stanley’s job for a day. John lost the bet and Stan got to do John’s job for a full day. John put on an operator’s uniform and did Stan’s job.”

Eventually, Kubala became a father figure and friend to Anderson. One year on Dec. 26, Anderson’s wife ran into John and Carol Kubala at a grocery store. “My wife mentions that it’s our daughter Holly’s birthday and how it’s a lousy day to have a birthday because everybody is worn out from Christmas. Carol said, ‘Well, today is my birthday, too.’

“They parted and an hour, hour and a half, later the doorbell rang. I opened the door and there stood John and Carol Kubala. They had a present for Holly. They continued to bring her a gift every Dec. 26 for several years after that.”

Grew up in West, Texas

Kubala was a big man who grew up in the tiny town of West, Texas. His father was West’s water superintendent and Kubala often reminisced about climbing the town’s water tower with his dad. Kubala had one sibling, a brother, Ray. The boys played pick-up football games with their many cousins in West. Both Kubala boys played at West High and both landed full rides to A&M. After college, John went to work for the city of Arlington, while Ray played four seasons with the Denver Broncos.

“He was happy for me,” Ray said of his brother. “He worked for Arlington and that suited his talents. He was a people person. I remember going back to West after a few months away and we’d go to the grocery store. I’d have to find him when it was time to leave. He’d be off talking to someone.”

John Kubala always lived life to the fullest, said those who knew him. Every fall for 30 years, he and seven buddies went on a “hunting” trip in which hunting was optional. He drank beer, played poker and bridge, and gambled in Las Vegas and Biloxi, Miss.

Took many family vacations

He enjoyed spending time with Carol, his son and three stepchildren. They took many family beach vacations and he and Carol visited every state and all but one continent. His friends said he was a voracious reader of science fiction books, told stories, and was the life of every party.

But it was his career that defined him, Carol Kubala said. Even after his retirement, “he was still a water man.”

And what would her “water man” think about his induction into the AWWA Hall of Fame?

"He would be in seventh heaven," she said.